Life Adjustments
by Athena
Summary: Wingul prepared himself for many scenarios on his path to protect Gaius' ideals. Ending up in the middle of nowhere and having to rejoin the rest of the world was not one of them. Mainly post-Xillia 2.
1. Stranded

_Notes:_ This story takes place after Tales of Xillia 2, so expect spoilers for both games' endings. On AO3, this is included in a series of short stories called _Little Black Feathers_, but the idea spiraled beyond a single oneshot story.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 1: Stranded<strong>

Even without the schism that had encased Rieze Maxia, a broad expanse of water separated the country from Elympios. While cargo ships and luxury cruisers sailed directly from one country to the other, smaller ships could navigate the waters to the small dots of land that lay in between.

The islands were far too small to support more than a few adventurous settlers, so they remained largely untouched in the many years that they were known about. Some had decent flora and fauna populations, while others sat almost completely barren, lacking in significant wildlife and decent protection from the elements.

After the schism fell, Wingul found himself stranded on one of the latter islands.

His first day on the small island was spent slumped behind the only boulder on the beach large enough to use for shelter from the blistering sun. It was a miserable existence, hiding underneath his cape and blearily wondering what he was going to do to escape his current situation. He had most certainly not avoided a bloody end at the hands of Maxwell's group and a near-death experience with his booster to simply die of exposure in the middle of nowhere.

He subsisted for the first two days on land crabs burned alive with his spirit artes. There was little other food, and he was forced to lick rocks for their salt content lest he lose what little water he had in him through perspiration. He groused about his pathetic state as he looked off to the endless ocean surrounding him; if he was going to survive, he _had_ to make his way to another island, his lack of significant swimming experience be damned.

There wasn't much to take stock of when he finally decided to brave the waters; he had nothing on him other than his clothes and sword, and even then he had to discard most of his layers to avoid becoming utterly waterlogged. He strapped his sword to his back, wrapped his hair in his dirty cape, and made the plunge into the water.

…And he quickly pulled himself out of the water again when dark clouds roiled together in the distance with surprising speed—a drastic change in spirit clime.

A tropical storm thundered around him that afternoon, and even as he huddled against his rock in a vain attempt to block off some of the wind and rain, he opened his mouth to accept the first source of fresh water he'd had in over two days. Once again, he faced a miserable evening, left cold and soaked after the storm subsided too late for him to dry off his garments in the sun.

Morning brought with it the return of the sun's heat and a welcome sight: floating debris illuminated by the rising sun. Once again he plunged into the water, this time swimming out to the largest piece of debris. Inspection of the floating tree told him that lightning had felled it recently, knocking it and its hard-cased fruit into the water.

So there was in fact an island out there that he could reach within a night's time, if he could figure out which way to go.

His sword saw its first real use in a few days as he hacked into the hard fruit for whatever nourishment they could give him. The unripe meat was bitter, but the watery juice at its center was more than worth the effort taken to crack open the stubborn fruit. He spent the morning hours sitting on the floating tree, eating its fruit and contemplating which direction it had come from.

The thought crossed his mind that he could remain with the tree and see where it went, but he quashed the idea before it truly settled in his head; he had no idea where the tree would take him, and the tree had not retained many of its fruit along its nighttime journey. As reluctant as he was to leave the fruit behind, he knew he could not realistically traverse the water and hold on to more than one of the fruit along the way.

But Wingul was resourceful, and his will to survive was not going to fail him; the limiting factor had always been his body, currently slow to recover from his last battle with malnourishment plaguing him. He asked much from his sword by using it to shave through the tree's body, and the blade took on a few scratches from the splintering trunk as he reaped one last gift from the tree: a relatively flat piece of wood that would bear his weight as he swam for the next island.

Feeling somewhat hopeful for the first time since he had woken up on that barren island, Wingul slid into the water and swam into the unknown.

x x x

The bizarre sight of what appeared to be a gigantic fetus cradled by the moon was seen all over the world. While in the following weeks both the governments and the press would release details on the phenomenon, the initial sight was enough to scare people out of their normal routines. One such break in routine led to a ship's captain steering his glass-bottomed tour boat horribly off-course.

The tour boat returned to Marksburg seven hours late and with one more passenger than had been aboard when it had left port.

x x x

Gaius was ready to head back to Trigleph after returning from the Land of Canaan. Despite everything that had happened with Origin's Trial, he still had his responsibilities waiting for him. Rowen was at his side as he headed for the train station, musing over their next steps when Rowen's GHS rang.

"My, what an unexpected call."

His eyes slid to watch Rowen as he stopped at the bottom of the steps leading to the train station. "Something amiss?"

Rowen turned on one heel to face the Marksburg Inn, not far from where they stood. "Apparently I was left a message at the inn. Beg pardon, Gaius, but may we make a quick stop to pick it up?" He offered the king an apologetic smile.

It wasn't altogether strange for Rowen to be the recipient of messages, given his role, but written messages were largely replaced by GHS texts and calls, depending on their importance. Rowen also tended to handle booking the inn as to spare Ludger's wallet, so it wasn't surprising for the inn to have his contact information.

Gaius nodded his assent, turning to join him. "Very well."

x x x

The message to Rowen contained a single line of seemingly incomprehensible characters strung together.

Gaius took one look at the message and demanded to know where it had originated from.

x x x

Through the course of Ludger's missions with Spirius, Gaius had seen his Chimeriad as they appeared in some fractured dimensions. The most poignant of the missions (to him) had been his first, when he had seen Wingul seated on his throne. Pale and stretched thin with regret and stress, he had never wanted to see his loyal companion in such a state.

The man seated in the hospital bed resembled that sad character in some respects, haggard and gaunt in ways that left his cheeks sunken and wrists thin enough to snap with ease. But his hair was long and pulled away from his sunburned face and bruised shoulders, telling silent tales of his lengthy absence as he watched his two expected visitors stare at him.

Gaius was the first to break the stillness, striding across the sterile room to kneel next to the bed. His relief was palpable as he found himself thinking about how _this_ was undoubtedly the prime dimension, with all of the fractured dimensions from the past destroyed.

_"Uti'su giidu tii sun'n yaio, Arst."_

His voice, much like his lips, was cracked with disuse. But it had been a long time that Gaius had felt such elation.

"Where have you been all this time?" Perhaps it was tactless, to not even offer a greeting to a man long thought dead. But he had to know.

Wingul's lips curved upward in a small, dry smile, and he briefly acknowledged Rowen with a glance before returning his attention to his king. Both of them should hear his answer.

"I was on a long and very unnecessary tropical vacation."

He rested one pale hand over Gaius' gloved one. Gaius turned his hand to accept Wingul's, fingers gently curling around his.

"But I'm back now."

* * *

><p><em>Notes<em>

_"Uti'su giidu tii sun'n yaio, Arst."_ =_ "It's good to see you, Arst."  
><em>


	2. Little Things

**Part 2: Little Things**

It was only natural that Gaius wanted to spend every moment he possibly could with the remaining member of his Chimeriad. After all, Wingul had been considered dead for well over a year, and even now he was not in the best health. An uneven diet had slowly eaten away at what little body fat he had, and weathering the outdoors with makeshift shelter had left him with sores and bug bites that needed to be put through a gamut of tests. Their initial reunion had not prepared the king for Wingul's long bouts of drowsiness; he had made a convincing display of lucidity for all of five minutes before falling asleep while Rowen explained Elympion politics.

But being the King of Rieze Maxia meant that Gaius could not remain by Wingul's side while he recovered; he still had to speak with Elympion leaders about united statements on the Land of Canaan's appearance and disappearance, as well as the possibility of holding the Spirius Corporation accountable for damages in Marksburg. Though the current world events only served to confuse Wingul, he firmly recommended that Gaius return to his duties and spare him no mind.

Some things never changed, and it surprised Gaius just how much that came as a comfort to him.

Wingul was transferred to a hospital in Trigleph to continue his recovery after the doctors expressed concern about the prototype booster still embedded in his head. Though he had not risked deliberately activating it over the course of the year, Wingul admitted to frequent headaches that reminded him of the months following his experimental surgery—and Gaius had a feeling there was more to that, considering his pride.

After two days of meetings that took Gaius and Rowen back and forth between Trigleph and Marksburg, they returned to visit Wingul. His long hair was worn down now that it had been properly cleaned, covering some of the more severe skin peeling that was beginning to occur from his sunburns. When he noticed his visitors, Wingul set aside the pad of paper he had been writing on and nodded to each of them in acknowledgment.

Gaius noticed a certain stiffness to the greeting—perhaps a sign that Wingul was not used to seeing Rowen at his side. But no one spoke of it, instead focusing on little pleasantries to fill the silence.

"I come bearing gifts." Rowen smiled as he removed a thick book and small device from the bag he carried. Wingul raised a brow but accepted the offered items while Rowen explained. "A history book on Elympios and the development of its political system. The latest edition even includes mention of Rieze Maxia in its current events chapter."

"How thoughtful." Gaius noticed the way Wingul's fingers flexed around the book's spine, and his eyes strayed to the pen and notebook that had been set aside. He recognized the strokes and curves of Wingul's writing, peppered with erratic slips that spoiled the normal, graceful flow—a development he had not seen before. "And what is this other thing?"

Rowen stroked his beard and leaned back in his chair, cheerful despite Wingul's continued monotone. "A GHS—a device capable of long-range communication that is popular here in Elympios." At those words, Wingul showed visible interest, and Rowen continued with bolstered enthusiasm. "We thought you would appreciate a way to contact Gaius while we continue traveling."

The exclusion of himself earned Rowen a glance from both Gaius and Wingul, but the latter was already finding something else to focus on. Holding up the GHS, he pointed to the little yellow etchings on the back of the black case. "What is this design?"

"I looked for a style that would be appropriate for you." Gaius spoke with his usual confidence, nodding at the repeated design on the back. "They are supposed to be peepits."

"…Peepits."

"Black and yellow peepits." Again, the king nodded, unruffled by Wingul's nonplussed expression. "Do you not like them? I found them charming."

"But not as charming as cats," Rowen interjected.

"Not as charming as cats." That went without saying, but if Rowen needed the verbal affirmation, Gaius would allow it. As he watched Wingul curiously push buttons, he offered a warning. "You will want to be careful operating it; the power switch can be quite tricky."

There was a moment of silence as Wingul averted his eyes from the GHS to slowly blink at the king and prime minister. He set the device down, pinched the bridge of his nose, and then picked it up again when it hummed to life.

"I think I am going to need to know how to contact you, Ilbert."

Gaius could only frown in slight confusion as Rowen began laughing heartily.

* * *

><p><em>Notes<em>  
>This started out in my head as a dramatic short that needed to be separated from a funny follow-up I was originally going to write. And then Gaius started talking.<p>

I do think a dramatic short will eventually happen, though. Somewhere.


	3. Where We Stand

**Part 3: Where We Stand**

He coughed up salt water as he dragged himself onto the beach, groaning as the dry sand began caking his pale skin and wet clothes. It was a small miracle that he had made it through the night on his makeshift float, and an even bigger miracle he had not been carried off by the ocean away from the island he now lay upon. There had been no way of knowing if it was the same island that the tree had splintered away from, but that particular piece of information hardly mattered when _anything_ would be considered an upgrade from the barren rock he had been surviving on.

Every part of his journey was a risk, from abandoning that tree to giving up his float in an attempt to swim for the speck of land visible in the distance. But he had always been a man for whom high risks meant great rewards, and a survival situation would not change that part of him at all.

x x x

That had been the thought, at least.

Wingul knew that things were different from the moment he had woken up in the hospital. The level of technology apparent in that room alone told him he was not in Rieze Maxia, and he had been seized by that suspicious wariness one might feel if captured by opposing forces. Desperation and elation had largely blinded him to any peculiarities when that tour boat had sailed past, to the point that he had even briefly channeled enough mana to set a tree on fire as a distress beacon. Relief had made him miss any cues he should have picked up from the people's clothing on the boat, and he had already been passed out by the time they arrived at the port.

He focused on the present again, turning the small device in his hands to stare at its metal and glass clamshell-like cover. Rowen had very patiently explained the basic functions of the GHS and left him with what appeared to be a thin instruction manual, but he had yet to use it. What was he going to do? Clearly the two were very busy with their respective positions, or they would not have left again so soon. They had better things to do than wait on him.

No, that wasn't right. What a foolishly resentful thought. Now that his strength had returned enough for him to remain awake and lucid for a better portion of the day, he had more time to entertain coherent ideas. Though he didn't consider himself an extremely social person by nature, he had been starved of basic human contact for so long that he found himself concentrating on negative thoughts in the face of being left alone. One of many changes that he would have to rectify if he wanted to face Gaius for more than a handful of minutes at a time.

That thought brought him back to the GHS. He flipped the device open and stared at its small, lit-up screen, his thumb brushing over the numbered buttons. Carefully going through the same steps from earlier in the day, he navigated his way to the contact list and looked at the two little entries Rowen created: Gaius (with a little heart beside it) and Rowen (with what appeared to be a music note beside it).

The Conductor apparently had a sense of humor.

Fortunately for Rowen's handiwork, Wingul could not be bothered to figure out how to change the entries at the moment. He tapped at Gaius' name, watching the little screen display the two ways that he could apparently contact him.

With a little sigh to himself, he selected the option to 'text' the king and watched as the previous display was replaced by a blank message and blinking cursor.

He stared at the message screen for a long time.

x x x

Wingul awoke to a foreign ringing sound close to his face. Wincing as he realized he had fallen asleep sitting up, he blearily picked up the GHS that had slipped out of his hand and onto the white hospital bed sheet draped across his lap. After taking a moment to locate the button that allowed him to answer the call, he carefully brought the device to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Ah. You're awake after all." Gaius' voice was so clear over the GHS that, if Wingul closed his eyes, he could imagine him being there on the opposite side of the room. There was a pause, though it was short enough that the silence didn't feel awkward. "I thought you might be asleep at this time of night."

Night? Wingul's brows knitted together as he turned slightly in his bed, noting that most of the lights in the hallway had been turned off—a routine done in the evening. He must have been asleep several hours. "Your call woke me up."

"I see. Then I can call back—"

"Don't tell me you woke me up simply to end the conversation." Despite the way he snapped in exasperation, Wingul felt hesitant for a moment before continuing. "Your Highness."

"Lin."

He released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, correcting himself upon hearing the difference in address. "Arst."

"I want to apologize that this is our first private conversation. It's certainly not ideal."

"No. It's not." His agreement was curt at best, still carrying an edge of drowsiness. "But the King of Rieze Maxia is bound to be busier than the King of Auj Oule."

"Being busy is no excuse when my most trusted advisor comes back from the dead."

A dry chuckle left his lips as he found himself thinking about that idiotic feeling of resentment that refused to ebb away. "Am I supposed to be moved by that sentiment? The fact of the matter is that you are exactly where you are supposed to be, Your Highness."

Gaius responded to the slip back into formal address just as Wingul thought he would. _"Lin."_

The sound of the king's voice rising in frustration would usually prompt Wingul to respond with equal intensity, but he felt tired—drained. Gaius didn't continue speaking right away, a terse silence developing in that handful of seconds.

"I have taken for granted the fact that I never had to fill in details for you. That you always knew exactly what was going on." There was a sober note to Gaius' voice that was unlike him, and it held Wingul's attention. "Now that I find myself in that role, I am at a loss what to say."

"Then have Ilbert relay the information to me. That's his job."

Silence reigned again. Gaius' frustration was almost palpable in the face of that dismissive rationale. "You are making this very difficult. I know you can hold a conversation better than this."

"I could say the same for you." Wingul reached up to tuck away a lock of hair that brushed against his irritated skin, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. As he shifted his grip on the GHS, his lips twitched into a deeper frown. "I tried to send you a message earlier, but words wouldn't come."

"Then we are both at a loss," Gaius concluded with a sigh. There was a faint tapping from his end; Wingul could practically see him drumming his fingers against a table. "How are you feeling?"

_Feeling._ Wingul scoffed, leaning back against the pillows propped up behind him. When he concentrated on that veiled resentment, the feeling it revealed was terribly clear in his head. "I have been in lockstep with you for over half of my life. Now all I see is your back in the distance." He waxed poetic when a more trite explanation would sound uncomfortably vulnerable. Even so, weariness sapped at the anger that he felt.

"I'm looking back right now." The metaphor was familiar enough that Gaius didn't have to ruminate on what he was talking about.

"You should not have to, Gaius."

_He who pulls the world behind him._ He had thought that there would be no way to feel uncomfortable watching Gaius' back for so many years. But being confined to a bed in this way was far different from when he had submitted himself to the booster experiments years ago. _This_ was more akin to that feeling when he was recovering after being soundly beaten by Ortega Kitarl.

In the end, all of his frustration was centered upon himself and his own failings. Again.

He wasn't sure how long the silence lasted, but he didn't want to be the one to break it; if he was ever going to rant at Gaius over this subject, it would not happen over the GHS.

"The world does not wait, and neither does the one who pulls it." Gaius was not simply recounting Wingul's metaphor; he spoke with that resolute tone that would often raise the morale of everyone under his command. "But your place has always been at my side. A year does not change that. A _lifetime_ would not change that."

Wingul wished at that moment for something else to stare at other than the stark whiteness of his room. His eyes wandered back to the book and pad of paper by his bedside, and he reached over to pick up both of them. His hands were not as steady as they used to be. His knowledge base was sorely lacking where Elympios was concerned.

"I expect you to catch up, Lin."

Wingul willed away the pressure behind his eyes by nodding at those words, his voice lacking its earlier anger as he carefully opened the book. "…I will, Arst."

He felt much better by the end of the call.

* * *

><p><em>Notes<br>_Lin and Arst are the Japanese names for Li Ying and Erston and are used out of personal preference. "Erston" may still appear in this story as Gaius' cover name (headcanon courtesy of YumeHanabi). Ortega Kitarl is better known as Jiao in Xillia.


	4. Headaches

**Part 4: Headaches**

Wingul was a man who thrived on systems and plans. Even when faced with surviving on a deserted island, he approached the situation by prioritizing what he needed—the bare necessities of water, food, and shelter. Short rainstorms were frequent over the island, which provided a source of water but made spoiled food a concern. Building shelter early on was difficult in his state of constant recovery; how he had managed to survive exposed to the elements after such a dangerous battle was nothing short of miraculous.

As the days wore on and he slowly grew used to his new needs and surroundings, he went beyond his initial system of prioritization and set restrictions for himself. Attempting to use his booster—an absolute no; as much as he wanted to deny the reality of what had happened, activating his booster had almost killed him in the Temporal Crossroads. There was no one to inspect the booster or analyze his condition, even if he was the type to relent where his health was concerned.

He always had something important to do, be it for the revolution's war campaign, the affairs of the capital, or the betterment of Auj Oule. Everything was done to secure Gaius' dream _(their shared dream)_ of a new Auj Oule, and that required all his energy. He could rest when he was dead.

x x x

It seemed like all he did now was rest.

Text messaging was not an effective distraction when one only had two contacts, even if Rowen proved to be a very quick replier at most hours of the day. There was very little that he wanted to discuss with the older man, especially across what felt like a casual communication system. Gaius' replies were much less frequent, almost painfully formal in wording even while lacking proper punctuation. It seemed much simpler to just wait until the evening, when Gaius was more likely to be free to talk.

Despite the fact that Gaius and Rowen were only a call away, they were physically across the great waters, having returned to Rieze Maxia to settle some matters of paperwork involving damages done by an Elympion company. While that alone would have taken them as far as Marksburg, there was also the rather complex affair of amending all of the paperwork that had officially declared him deceased.

He had pinched the bridge of his nose at the thought. While there was an apparently strong effort made to consolidate the various governmental files from both Rashugal and Auj Oule into a single consistent bookkeeping system, there was difficulty retrieving any files referring to his death. Gaius had returned to Kanbalar to oversee the process personally, wanting to know with certainty that all the necessary documents were gathered.

The updated paperwork would be needed to officially transfer him back to Rieze Maxia, as he was an unknown entity without proper identification in Elympios—and a dead man, according to current records in Auj Oule. Having the King of Rieze Maxia vouching for him was helpful indeed, as he did not have to worry about falling into debt with hospital bills, but even Gaius was not so foolish as to abuse his position and pull him across the border without the necessary papers.

Even if he _was_ that foolish, Wingul would have stopped him. No doubt Rowen would as well.

The fact that Gaius had to go to such lengths for him gnawed at Wingul's pride, agitating him in a way that he had not felt in quite some time. Pride did not have much of a place in a survival situation, and the only things he could be indignant towards were the various animals he encountered and the capricious tropical storms. As a result, he spoke little when the topic came up and would end the calls in a bad mood.

Two days passed before Wingul's restlessness finally overflowed and he struggled out of his room to take a walk longer than the twenty or so steps it took to carry him to the bathroom and back. He felt that he had exhausted his bedridden entertainment, having finished Rowen's book twice and written in his notebook until his fine motor skills finally improved to the point where his hands no longer shook.

Now it was only a matter of walking around while fending off the headaches that occurred when he overexerted himself.

Headaches were nothing new to him; in becoming the first human test subject for boosters, he accepted the many side effects of having an artificial device implanted in his head. The initial debilitating pain and fatigue had faded into throbbing headaches after the first year, remaining consistent while he still felt tentative about his new power. But there was always another conflict on the horizon—another situation that he felt justified his use of the booster. Stopping marauders that harassed the smaller tribes. Settling property disputes between larger tribes. Staking claim to Shrade Island against Rashugal forces.

The headaches grew worse. Fighting Maxwell's group to the point of defeat only accelerated the strain on his mana lobe; if fighting and winning tired him out, fighting and _losing_ left him completely spent—evident by the way he passed out in both Fezebel Marsh and the Temporal Crossroads. Almost losing complete control of his channeled mana after using his booster a second time had brought about excruciating pain.

And now the headaches were almost constant. The Elympion doctors were still inspecting the booster as best they could without invasive surgery, comparing the primitive device to old models of spyrix in order to understand the strain it was producing. But implanting a device directly to the brain was apparently a rare procedure even in Elympios, and they were still learning the anatomy of Rieze Maxians with their addition of a mana lobe.

A nurse took one look at him as he slowly walked through the hall and ushered him to the nurses' station for a proper robe; since he usually went no further than his own room, a hospital gown had sufficed. He caught sight of his reflection in one of the security mirrors, grimacing at his washed out appearance in the standard issue clothing.

An audible gasp from somewhere behind him caught his attention as he reached up to fix his hair, and he slowly turned his head to face a vaguely familiar brunette.

"Wingul?" Those green eyes continued to widen in growing confusion, to the point where her brows seemed to disappear underneath the brim of her cap. Flabbergasted, she looked around, as if someone nearby could confirm that she wasn't dreaming.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Caught with his hand still raised, Wingul tucked a lock of his long hair behind one ear and scrutinized the girl. He had a niggling suspicion as to her identity, but kept the thought to himself.

The girl stood there with her mouth agape for a moment, then took a deep breath and stepped forward, as if steeling herself for some big revelation. "I'm Leia. Leia Rolando. I was traveling with Milla and Jude and everyone else. Does that— Er, does that ring any bells?"

_Ah. That's right._ She was the odd one out of the group—the one who he had not known in some function when Maxwell's group first arrived in Kanbalar. That earnest, anxious note in her voice came as a surprise, considering the circumstances of their last meeting. "I remember you." He gave no further acknowledgment, eyes straying towards the double doors that marked the exit for the hospital wing as he thought about how far he could actually wander away from his room.

Verbal confirmation seemed to embolden Leia, as she took another step forward with her hands clenched into apprehensive fists. "Does Gai— ah, _Erston_ know you're here?"

Leia bit her lower lip when the only response she received was a blank stare, and she flailed internally over what she was supposed to do now. Fortunately, Wingul decided to reply, folding his arms as his eyes again strayed to take in other parts of the hospital. "His Highness knows I am here, though I hardly see how that's any of your business."

Silently, Wingul had to commend the girl for not cringing and cowering at his reply; he was not making conversation easy by any means. "That's…" Leia sighed and brought up one hand, cupping her chin while a disappointed frown made its way to her face. "That's so cold. I just wanted to be sure that Erston knows you're alive."

"It's still none of your business." With a dismissive flick of his wrist, Wingul turned his attention back to the nurses' station and cleared his throat to get an older woman's attention. "Is there anywhere that I can go for some fresh air?"

"There is a terrace just beyond this wing's entrance." The woman pointed to the double doors that Wingul had noticed earlier. "But we require that patients be escorted if they go out there." She ticked off a number of reasons, from hospital policy to the dangers of a terrace being four stories up.

He wasn't given a chance to grouse over the restriction, as he saw a hand shoot up just within his peripheral vision. "I can escort him!" Leia chirped, having set aside her earlier feelings to instead embrace cheerfulness again. "I used to be a nurse, so I'd say I'm pretty qualified if he keels over or something."

Despite the disapproving stare Wingul aimed at the girl's head, Leia proceeded to write her name on a clipboard to formally declare that she was going to be escorting him for … however long it took before he could convince her to leave. Leia smiled proudly and spun on her heels to look at Wingul, reaching up to pinch the brim of her cap.

"Okay then. Let's get going!"

Wingul lingered by the station as Leia walked past him, his body language entirely closed off. Things had quickly gone down a route he was not enthusiastic about traveling; if he went with the girl, he would undoubtedly face a barrage of questions that he had little desire to answer. Did he really want to add to his current headache?

On the other hand, he could in turn ask a number of questions about the current state of the world—other details beyond politics and peace efforts. He also had to admit that he had nothing _better_ to do with his day.

…And then there was that whole "Erston" business…

Repressing a sigh, he let his arms fall to his sides and slowly followed after Leia. 

* * *

><p><em>Notes<br>_These parts seem to be steadily growing longer. Haha. I guess that's what happens when what was initially a oneshot takes on a life of its own.

Next part, Wingul and Leia talk, and possibly other characters show up.


	5. Tea & Pretzels

**Part 5: Tea & Pretzels**

Any journey could have its share of detours, no matter how mundane the journey or short its detours.

In this particular case, the journey to the terrace took a detour in the form of the fourth floor vending machines. Wingul raised a brow at the odd contraptions, eying the various colorful packages that had apparently caught Leia's attention.

"Do you want something to eat or drink?" Leia inquired, fishing out a tiny purse from her blazer. She waggled a shiny gold card at him, her brows knitting together nervously despite the smile on her face. Several bold steps had brought her this far, but doubt managed to creep into her head during that moment when Wingul did not follow her from the nurses' station. "I don't know what they're feeding you here, but I'm guessing it's not out of a vending machine."

His first instinct was to decline as he continued to resist the odd situation, but the drinks held his attention. After such limited types of drinks in the last year, he had to admit that seeing options that were not juice or water was refreshing. "Tea."

"All right!" With a nod, Leia scooted over and slid her card into a strip on the machine. When she noticed the rather intense look she was receiving, she flushed and coughed lightly. "Sorry. I forgot to mention it's my treat."

He snorted at the awkward reaction. "I was trying to figure out what that card is that you're holding."

Leia's eyes widened with understanding, and she deftly flipped the card between her fingers while scooting over from the drink machine. "It's a gald card. Elympios is largely a paperless money society." With her free hand, she gestured Wingul over to the spot she had just vacated. "Have you used one of these before? It's kinda neat." Taking the silence in stride, she pointed at the various buttons with accompanying pictures. "Each of these will give you a different drink."

She pressed one button and smiled, both of them staring at the machine as it spat out a little paper cup and whirred noisily. A moment later, a steady stream of liquid flowed from some barely visible spout on the machine into the cup. "Tada! It's not gourmet by a long shot, but hopefully it tastes okay." She let Wingul retrieve his drink before swiping her card again.

While Leia chose a beverage for herself, Wingul took a careful sip of the hot tea. "Little more that flavored hot water," he muttered dryly, taking another sip despite his criticism. He was in no position to be very critical, seeing as tea was a luxury he had been without for over a year. "But it will do."

"Good—I'm glad." Even that quick reply sounded sincere coming from the girl, who plucked a cup of juice from the machine before returning to the snack machine. She didn't spend long browsing the selection, swiping her card a third time and punching in a pair of buttons to retrieve a package. Slipping her purse back into her pocket, she grabbed the bag and held it out for Wingul to see. "Pretzel?"

Not sure what to make of the dispensed snack food, Wingul shook his head carefully and turned his attention back towards finding the terrace. A sign directed them just a little further down the hallway to a glass door that allowed a clear view of the sky beyond the building. Leia led the way outside, setting her food on one of the little round tables that dotted the otherwise bare expanse of concrete flooring.

Still carrying his tea, Wingul walked to the high railing to look out upon the city; his transfer from Marksburg didn't afford him much of a view, even when he was awake during the trip. Trigleph was a city unlike anything he had ever seen in Rieze Maxia, with buildings that stretched towards the sky not unlike the high peaks amongst the Mon Highlands. There were glass windows and structures of stone and metal as far as he could see, the drab colors only occasionally broken by little oases of greenery.

"It's really different, isn't it?" Leia commented from the table, carefully opening up the snack package. Despite her attempt, the package still crinkled noisily under her fingers.

"It is." He tilted his head to avert his gaze down to the streets below, watching Elympions go about their normal business. "I still find it hard to believe things didn't escalate into war."

"Not for lack of trying; there's way more extremists around than I'd like to think about." There was a grim note that stood in stark contrast with the girl's perky demeanor, and Wingul glanced back at her. "It's hard not to notice in my line of work. I'm working as a reporter now." With her free hand, she gave a little salute that seemed vaguely familiar.

Interesting. It wasn't an occupation choice he would have expected of the girl—but it was not like he knew much beyond the unflattering things Agria had to say about her, the nicest of which was probably 'moron.' "So you cover the current political situation between the countries?"

Leia, in the middle of chewing a pretzel, hunched her shoulders to keep a nervous laugh from rising up. "No, not at all. But not every reporter can say they're friends with the King and Prime Minister of Rieze Maxia."

"Friends." Wingul repeated the word with a touch of skepticism before taking a sip of his drink.

"Friends," Leia affirmed with a nod. She seemed to struggle with herself for a moment before speaking further. "I'm not sure what's up with you and Gaius, but leaving him unsure of where you stand as friends is pretty awful."

His lips twitched before curling into a sardonic smile, and he averted his gaze to look up towards the taller buildings. "For one who calls herself a friend of His Highness, you make a lot of assumptions on his behalf."

"He would talk about the isolation and detachment that comes with being king—or, well, that's what he talked about when we were on one particular … mission." She paused, a pretzel hovering by her lips, as she reflected further. "He never really talked about it otherwise."

"As the King of Auj Oule, plainly stating his friendships would be dangerous to both him and those he would consider friends. I am sure that fact carries into his role as the King of Rieze Maxia." Wingul spoke with confidence, though he was also careful not to allude too much to his relationship with Gaius. He would have to speak with him about whatever misconceptions were floating around, seeing as a self-proclaimed 'friend' was somehow under the impression that he, who had known the king for well over a decade, was _not_ a friend.

When no answer came, he frowned and looked back at Leia again. She was munching on a pretzel with a complex expression, as if she wanted to say something but was trying her very best not to. "What is it?" He couldn't quite dispel a hint of annoyance from his voice. "If you have something to say, say it."

"Has Gaius told you anything about the Spirius Corporation?"

A question for a question. "They had a hand in some of the structural damage on the Rieze Maxian side of Marksburg, from my understanding."

"So that's a no." Leia played with the edge of the snack package, eyes averted to the ground thoughtfully. "I'd suggest asking him about his first mission. Sometime. I don't think it's something I should talk about myself, but it's kinda significant."

It was "significant," and yet Gaius did not mention it to him. Wingul silently finished the rest of his tea, telling himself that the indignation he felt was only so strong because his frequent headaches left him in a bad mood. Gaius would not intentionally keep secrets from him.

"Fine. I will ask him."

Some of the nervousness faded from Leia's face, and she lifted the pretzel bag almost hopefully. Sighing, Wingul obliged and took one of the little treats.

x x x

Despite Leia's continued nervousness, conversation didn't cease after the awkward topic, and Wingul made no attempt to stop her; perhaps it was the fact that she rambled easily or was not a _complete_ stranger, but he did not overly mind her presence. They returned to the topic of Elympios' largely paperless money system, and she sat with Wingul as she tapped through her GHS phone and explained that most of the devices were even capable of transferring gald from one person's account to another. It wasn't a system without its problems and security flaws, especially now that Elympion merchants had to trade with Rieze Maxians and their physical coin society, but it was certainly convenient.

Convenience was at the heart of many of the Elympios' difficulties with giving up spyrix; spyrix were engrained in their culture, much like spirit artes in Rieze Maxia's, and accepting limitations to their lifestyles did not come easily at all. But they had made some great pushes in the past year; the Elympion military had grounded almost all of their aerial division and reduced country-wide power usage by three percent.

"You're quite knowledgeable about Elympios." Wingul was almost impressed with how much Leia rambled on the topics; she did not seem like to the type to take interest in such particulars.

"I can't take all of the credit," she giggled modestly. "Alvin's one of our resident Elympion experts, and Jude's become a researcher in spyrite development just outside of Trigleph, so he's had to learn a lot about Elympios too." As soon as the words left Leia's lips, her eyes widened and she clapped her hands together. "I bet they would totally answer more of your questions about Elympios!" Belatedly, she remembered Wingul's current condition. "Er… If you don't mind me telling them that you're alive."

He made a noise in the negative, not wanting to aggravate his current headache by shaking his head too much. "I will speak with His Highness about it and let you know." It seemed somewhat more tactful than admitting that neither Jude nor Alvin was high on his list for decent company.

It only then seemed to dawn on Leia that things could potentially become very complicated, and it showed in how her brows knitted together worriedly. "I guess it didn't occur to me that I'd stumbled upon something I wasn't supposed to know."

"I doubt His Highness and Ilbert are intentionally keeping it a secret. My survival is hardly something important to your lot." The foodstuffs long since disposed of, his hands were free to wave dismissively at Leia.

"That's not true!" Leia's voice rose as she spoke fervently, eyes wide. "You… You and the rest of the Chimeriad were important to Gaius. And we knew you too, to an extent. Don't think for a minute that we _wanted_ to see any of you— dead." She faltered, her shoulders drooping again as she looked down at her hands. "If nothing else, we'd want to know because it would make Gaius happy."

The simplicity and sincerity of the sentiment left Wingul without a quick reply, so once again Leia filled the silence.

"If they want to keep it hush-hush, I can just introduce you as one of Erston's acquaintances."

There was that name again. He couldn't leave the mention without remark this time. "Why are you switching back and forth between those names?"

"Because of his cover while he's here in Elympios. It's a little odd, but he's pretty adamant about not answering if he's not called Erston Outway in public." She spoke as if it was the most obvious thing, only to wince when she was met with that same blank stare she had received earlier. "He didn't tell you that either, huh?"

Wingul reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he felt his headache worsen. The next conversation he had with Gaius was going to be a _long_ one.

x x x

Leia followed Wingul back to his room after he remarked that the air was getting colder, though the conversation had faded to a not-so-uncomfortable silence as they walked through the hallway. Neither felt like commenting on how tired he looked, obvious as it was.

"I'm really glad that I got to talk to you." Leia's voice was a little quieter as they entered the room, as if she was shy to make the admission. "You're not so scary up close and personal."

Wingul busied himself smoothing the sheets on his bed, speaking wryly as he glanced back at her. "The hospital clothes probably help with that." He was aware of how frightening he could be, especially under the influence of his booster.

"Maybe." She laughed softly, loosing her hands from where she had held them together behind her back. "Oh, I should give you my phone number. So you can contact me about what Gaius says."

Wingul only briefly considered rejecting the idea before retrieving the device; even if the prospect of meeting more of his former enemies wasn't appealing, he couldn't deny that Leia had done a good job entertaining him for the afternoon. Leia pursed her lips in surprise as she caught sight of the decidedly avian design on the back of the device, but wisely kept any comment to herself as she took the GHS from him.

"Oh wow, this is the newest model. I guess Rowen and Gaius went all out getting you one." She marveled over the sleek interface and rotatable screen for a moment before pulling up the contact list. Even as Wingul prepared to climb into bed, Leia quickly tapped in her information and presented him with the device again.

The contact list was still displayed when Wingul looked at his GHS, and he snorted at Leia's name with the little star symbol next to it. "Continuing the pattern, I see."

"It's cute." She flashed him a smile, managing to both answer Wingul and remark on the design she could again see on the GHS' case. "Anyway, hopefully I'll hear from you soon. I work primarily in Trigleph unless I'm on assignment elsewhere, so … yeah. If I hear back from you sooner than later, I'm sure I can rope Jude or Alvin in to visiting." She paused for a moment to breathe, unsure where to leave things after that. While Wingul crossed his arms over his robe, Leia finally settled on a quick departure: "I'll see you, Wingul."

Leia's nervousness again reared its head as she waved, and she sprang off towards the door to avoid stretching out the goodbye. Wingul simply watched her with a somewhat amused expression, leaning against his pillows with the GHS resting on his lap. The encounter was surprisingly pleasant.

He considered waiting a few hours before calling Gaius so that it was properly evening, but he was once again without anything to do in the hospital. Flipping his GHS open, he told himself that there would be no harm in seeing if he was available. The tinny feedback ring sounded in his ear twice before he heard that deep, familiar voice on the other end.

Wingul smirked at his empty room, settling in for a potentially long call.

"Hello, Erston."

* * *

><p>Slowly, but surely, I'm approaching what could be considered proper chapter-length parts. It's been years since I've done proper multi-part stories, so this is kind of a warmup, I guess.<p>

Next part, Wingul is visited again and continues to catch up on things he's missed in the past year.


End file.
